Diversion apparatuses that are used to divert faulty objects, e.g., containers that are not completely full, from a flow of such objects are known in the art. From WO 00/68120 (DE-U-299 08 036) it is known to control the intensity with which objects are diverted in such a way that the objects receive a diversion impulse of differing strength transversely to their direction of transport and thus reach one of several second transport devices running parallel alongside each other. A similar apparatus is known from DE-A-100 07 627 in which upright bottles are diverted by means of a single impulse of a pusher, while horizontal bottles are diverted by means of an impulse sequence of the pusher.
An apparatus for sorting out faulty packaging units is known from DE-C2-36 23 327, which discloses a device where the angle at which the pusher pushes the packaging units from the conveyor belt being automatically controlled. The angle is set depending on the transport speed of the conveyor belt and the vector perpendicular to belt of the required pushing speed.
An apparatus for sorting out faulty packaging units, in particular bottles, is know from DE-C1-37 34 599, the pusher being driven by a cam and developed as a slide plate to which a brushing segment is attached. The shape and the speed of rotation of the cam determine the acceleration and the speed of the slide during the sorting-out process. It is to be thereby achieved that the path by which the packaging units to be sorted out or pushed is independent of the degree of filling of the packaging units.
Diversion devices have a diversion element, displaceable transversely to the direction of transport, which is driven pneumatically or by electric motor. The diversion element can also be in an air jet that pushes an object to be diverted transversely to the direction of transport. In the case of diversion apparatuses in which objects of different mass are to be diverted onto a second transport device, there is the difficulty that light objects are more markedly accelerated by the diversion device and thereby obtain a higher speed component transversely to the direction of transport than heavier objects.
The apparatus of the invention imparts a transverse impulse to the selected objects regardless of their mass. This leads to a roughly equally wide displacement of the objects transversely to the direction of transport. The basic idea of the invention is to detect the progress of the diversion of an object and to activate the diversion device more strongly or for longer depending on the established progress if the progress is less, or vice versa.